Easier Global Giving Through NGOsource; Service Launches March 18, 2013

An increasing number of grantmakers give — or want to give — internationally in order to address social and economic issues that transcend national borders. Global giving appeals to grantmakers of all sizes and types, from family foundations with enduring legacies to new foundations exploring novel pathways of giving.

Yet the costs and challenges of complying with the regulations that govern cross-border grantmaking have been a barrier to U.S. grantmakers and a burden on the very organizations they hope to support.

All of this is about to change.

On March 18, 2013, NGOsource will launch its new, breakthrough equivalency determination service for grantmakers.

NGOsource, a project of the Council on Foundations and TechSoup Global, streamlines the task of evaluating whether a non-U.S. organization is equivalent to a U.S. public charity. This process is known as equivalency determination or ED. Using custom-designed technology, research on best practices in global grantmaking, standardized methodology developed by leading legal experts, and local partnerships within the global NGO community, NGOsource has created a first-of-its-kind and efficient equivalency determination process.

Grantmakers can immediately apply for membership with NGOsource so that they are ready to request their first equivalency determination when the service launches in March.

Trial membership offer

NGOsource is offering a trial membership to grantmakers who are new to global giving or would like to see NGOsource in action. The trial membership is available to grantmakers who join NGOsource by March 18, 2013.

Meet the TechSoup Global family

We partner with NGOs around the world to deliver relationships, technology, and expertise that enhance their service to their communities. These partner NGOs customize our offerings, providing their beneficiaries with resources that combine the best of global knowledge and local perspective.

This global network of local communities empowers individuals to build and share their solutions to social challenges, identifying and accelerating the most innovative of those projects. With events in 44 cities around the world, NetSquared is a vibrant on- and offline community.

Perhaps the largest technology philanthropy program in the world, TechSoup.org connects nonprofit organizations and libraries to the resources and knowledge they need to operate at full potential. Visited by more than 193,000 individuals monthly, this online community is a place to build capacity, make connections, and share solutions.

In 2008, TechSoup Global was selected by the Council on Foundations to host and manage NGOsource, an equivalency determination service that will help U.S. grantmakers streamline their international grantmaking process. NGOsource launched on March 20, 2013.

We teamed up with U.K.-based GuideStar International (GSI) to improve our capacity-building programs for civil society. GSI works with civil society leaders worldwide to develop transparency and civil society organization reporting in their own countries. GSI supports this growing network through the provision of a shared common technology platform as well as advice and support in each country’s development process.